Statement on Donald Trump’s Call for Voter Fraud Investigation

January 25, 2017

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law released the following statement from President Michael Waldman:

“The President swore to uphold the Constitution just five days ago. That includes the right to vote. That is what the highest officials in the land should preserve, protect, and defend. The stakes for democracy couldn’t be higher.

“There is no evidence of massive voter fraud — none. The notion that millions of people voted illegally two months ago, and nobody noticed, is preposterous on its face. Election officials, leaders of the President’s own party, and every academic and journalistic investigation confirm this.

“An expensive investigation of imaginary voter fraud is not needed. It could easily devolve into a witch hunt. Worse, it could be used to justify sweeping voting restrictions. There is no need for another investigation that is not independent, rigorous, and fact based.

“There is a great deal of evidence that our voting system locks out far too many eligible citizens from voting. The voter registration system needs an upgrade, and that is something that should unite all Americans. Errors on the voter rolls are emphatically not signs of fraud — they are signs that we need to improve the system.

“One more reason for caution: A decade ago, high officials used the Justice Department to search for, and prosecute, baseless claims of fraud to advance a partisan agenda. That became a major scandal. The Attorney General had to resign. It would be unwise to go down that road again.

“Again, we urge our nation’s leaders to focus on protecting the voting rights of every American, and to upgrade and modernize our elections.”